1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat module. In particular, the present invention relates to a heat module installed in an electronic device, such as, for example, a personal computer (PC).
2. Description of the Related Art
Small and high-performance electronic devices, such as, for example, notebook PCs, produce a large amount of heat at CPUs and the like inside cases thereof. This makes it important to take measures against the heat. One common measure against the heat is to install blower fans inside the cases to discharge the heat.
JP-A 2012-018683, for example, discloses a method of cooling a heat source as employed in an electronic device including a fan arranged to blow air toward a closed space, a heat dissipating member arranged between the closed space and the fan inside a case and arranged to cover an air outlet, and a heat pipe arranged to be in thermal connection with a heat-radiating component and the heat dissipating member and arranged in the closed space so as to cover a portion of the heat dissipating member. According to this method, the air blown by the fan toward the closed space changes its direction of travel outside of the fan because of the heat pipe, and is discharged through the air outlet.
According to the method disclosed in JP-A 2012-018683, the heat pipe blocks a flow of the air. That is, the air blown by the fan is caused by the heat pipe to change its direction of travel, and a change in the direction of the flow of the air causes an energy loss. In addition, noise occurs if an air current strikes the heat pipe hard. Further, according to the method disclosed in JP-A 2012-018683, the heat dissipating member (i.e., a heat sink) is arranged between the fan and the heat pipe. A reduction in the thickness of a heat module requires a reduction in the thickness of the fan, and the reduction in the thickness of the fan results in a reduction in an air volume. When the heat sink is provided, the heat sink itself narrows an air channel through which the air current passes, and causes an increase in air resistance. Thus, according to an invention of JP-A 2012-018683, energy losses caused by the air resistance and the change in the direction of the flow of the air are great. That is, the invention of JP-A 2012-018683 is not suitable to reduce the thickness of the heat module.